Poker

Goal

Poker and table games based on poker come in many forms, but the principles are the same: Create the best hand possible.

Rules

Know these like the back of your hand

Royal Flush: 10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace, all in the same suit

Straight Flush: Five cards of the same suit in consecutive ranking

Four Of A Kind: Four cards of the same rank

Full House: A Three Of A Kind with a Pair

Flush: Five cards of the same suit

Straight: Five cards of consecutive rank, regardless of suit

Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank

Two pair: Two sets of two cards of the same rank

Pair: Two cards of the same rank

Etiquette

Don’t act like a king. Be respectful of other players.

Texas Hold’Em varieties follow this basic format:

You place an initial bet, called an ante

Each player is dealt two cards face down (the “hole”), followed by a round of betting

Three community cards are dealt face up (the “flop”), followed by another round of betting

A fourth community card (the “turn”) is dealt face up, followed by more betting

Finally, a fifth community card (the “river”) is dealt face up, followed by a last round of betting

During each round, you can fold, stay pat or raise your bet

The player with the best five-card hand out of the seven total cards dealt is the winner

Odds

Luck isn’t against you. Luck isn’t for you. Luck just doesn’t care.

Always remain realistic about your chances of winning, and take a break if you’re beginning to lose sight of that

There are several variations of poker. Having a budget as well as an understanding of both skill level and house edge are good strategies for healthy gambling

Terminology

Know the game. Play on your terms.

Blind Bet: In some forms of poker, players sitting at certain spots on the table will have to make a wager before seeing any cardsCall: To make a wager equal to the amount of the wager made immediately priorCheck: To waive the right to start betting, while retaining the right to act if another player begins to bettingFold: To refuse to call a raise; the player leaves the hand and discards his or her cardsRaise: To make a wager higher than the last bet

DISCLAIMERThis game guide is meant as an introduction. The official rules for Massachusetts can be found at massgaming.com/rules.